Lyrics
Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious,
See the Man of Sorrows now;
From the fight returned victorious,
Every knee to Him shall bow.
Crown Him, crown Him, angels crown Him!
Crown the Savior King of kings;
Crown Him, crown Him, angels crown Him!
Crown the Savior King of kings.
Crown the Savior, angels, crown Him,
Rich the trophies Jesus brings;
In the seat of power enthrone Him,
While the vault of heaven rings.
Sinners in derision crowned Him,
Mocking thus the Savior's claim;
Saints and angels crowd around Him,
Sing His title, praise His name.
Hark, those bursts of acclamation!
Hark, those loud triumphant chords!
Jesus takes the highest station;
Oh, what joy the sight affords!
Public domain hymn text (1809). Words by Thomas Kelly.
The Story Behind the Hymn
Thomas Kelly wrote 'Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious' in 1809, addressing the hymn directly to 'ye saints' as spectators witnessing Christ's triumphant return following His victory over sin and death.
Its third verse takes an unexpected turn, recalling how 'sinners in derision crowned' Christ with thorns in mockery during His crucifixion, before contrasting that scene with saints and angels now genuinely crowning Him in praise.
That deliberate echo, the same word 'crowned' used first in cruelty and then in worship, ties the hymn's celebration directly back to the suffering it follows, rather than skipping past it.
Its closing verse describes the reaction of 'bursts of acclamation' and 'loud triumphant chords,' picturing the coronation as an event with real, audible celebration rather than only quiet reverence.
Kelly composed hundreds of hymns during his ministry with independent congregations in Ireland, and this text became one of his most widely used outside his own immediate circles.
